Nominees were announced on October 27, 2014.[2][3] Leading the nominees was Exo with five. By the end of the ceremony, Exo received three awards together with Taeyang, the most received awards of the night.

This event marked the sixteenth Mnet Asian Music Awards.[4] It was broadcast live in China, Japan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia through various channels, as well as around the world.[5]

The event took place in the same country and the same venue for the second consecutive time. This also marked the first time that the event organized a campaign called Girls' Education Campaign with CJ and UNESCO.[6] It was also the first time that UnionPay sponsored the event exclusively.[7]